Railway signal-torpedo.



F. BUTCHER.

RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 21. 1916.

Patented June 19, 191-7.

Prisms 00.,ruc1-aumm. WASHIKGYON n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. j

FRANK DUTCHER, OF VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CENTRAL RAILWAYSIGNAL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

RAILWAY SIGN AL-TORPEDO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 19, 1917.

Application filed September 21, 1916; 7 Serial No. 121,459.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK DUTOI-IER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Versailles, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRailway Signal-Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in railway signal torpedoes, andpertains to a particular construction of torpedo made up of threemembers, all of which will be described hereinafter and particularlypoint ed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a. perspective view of atorpedo embodying my invention.

' Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken through the center of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the parts in separate relation.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a slight modification.

The main or body member 1 is made hatshaped in form with the top orcrown portion 2, the vertical portion 3 and the horizontal or brimportion 4. This member forms the top of the torpedo and is composed ofpaper or fibrous material. An inner cup-shaped member 5 receives an eX-plosive tablet 6, of a size fitting within the member 5, and this member5 with its explosive tablet is placed within the main or body portion 1,as clearly shown in Fig. 2. A third outer and larger cup-shaped member 7is of a circumference sufficient to embrace the flange or brim portion 4of the member 1 and its vertical flange portion is turned inward overthe flange or brim portion 4 and cemented thereto. This serves to holdthe three parts of the torpedo together with the explosive therein. Incementing the parts the inside of the member 7, together with the insideof the flange S will be painted with proper cement and also the flangeor brim portion 4 similarly treated with waterproof cement. WVhen theparts are placed together, the flange 8 of the member 7 stands at rightangles to its bottom, as shown in Fig. 3. It is then crimped inward anddown upon the flange 4, as shown in Fig. 1, the cement serving to holdit in unite the parts.

The member 7 not only serves to unite the parts of the torpedo, but alsoserves as means for attaching a rail-engaging strap 9, by providing itwith openings 10 through which the strap is threaded before the partsare placed together.

. A torpedo thus formed has a wide extendproduces a fiber top torpedo ofnovel specific construction.

In the construction of the torpedo shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, all of theparts of the case are made of suitable paper or fiber. thus constitutinga fiber torpedo. A

In torpedoes the part which flies most is the top owing to the fact thatthe bottom is in contact with the rail, and in Fig. 4, I have shown thebottom portion 7 made of metal and, in this instance, the turned overflange 8 is narrower than the turned over flange of the paper or fibermember 7. The principal object of making the bottom member of metal isto provide for the attachment of a spring rail-engaging clip 9, whichneeds a stronger means of attachment than the lead strap 9, shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3.

In torpedo here shown the width of the that position and thus flange 4is greater than the height of the crown portion of the member 1, thusproviding an extending flange to be gripped by the wheel of the car, toprevent the torpedo from being knocked off the rail by striking the highor central portion of the torpedo in advance of engaging the surrgundinghorizontal flange or portion there- 0 Having thus described myinvention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is Arailway signal torpedo comprising an inverted cup-shaped member havingits walls at right angles to each other,-the lower edge of the verticalwall extending outwardly to form a lateral flange, a second cup-shapedmember fitting within the firstmentioned cup-shaped member, an explosivecompound in tablet form within the second cup-shaped. member, thevertical wall of the second member being of a length to engage the topWall of the first mentioned member to bring the horizontal Wall thereofin the same plane with the lateral flange of the firstmenti0nedcup-shaped member, a third 3 cup-shaped member of a size to receive theflange and a rail engaging strap carried 10 by the third cup-shapedmember.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses. FRANK DUTGHER.

lVitnesses H. J UNKER, G. M. LEONARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C.

